Modi government first to have six women cabinet ministers: Sushma

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday that Modi government is the first government after Independence to have six women Cabinet Ministers with two of them as members of the Cabinet Committee on Security.

Highlighting the key takeaways from her speech during Mahila Sammelan event in Varanasi on Wednesday, Sushma tweeted, "I told the audience that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is the first government after Independence to have six women Cabinet Ministers with two of them as members of the Cabinet Committee on Security. Jawahar Lal Nehru's first cabinet (1952-57) had only one woman - Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur as a Cabinet Minister. His second government (1957-62) had no woman Cabinet Minister. His third Government (1962-64) had one woman (Dr. Sushila Nayyar) as a Cabinet Minister."

"Lal Bahadur Shastri continued with Dr. Sushila Nayyar as a Cabinet Minister (1964-66). Indira Gandhi also continued with her as a Cabinet Minister (1966-67)," she said in another tweet.

The BJP leader said that during Indira Gandhi's tenure as the Prime Minister from 1967-71, 1971-1977 and again during 1980-84, not a single woman was appointed as a Cabinet Minister.

She said Rajiv Gandhi's cabinet (1984-89) had only one woman (Mohsina Kidwai) as a Cabinet Minister.IANS